


The Road To Hell Is Paved With Good Intentions

by ActualRealLiveFiveYearOld



Series: The Road to Hell [1]
Category: Game Grumps
Genre: M/M, based off of an AU, really gay, some violence, this will be a happier work i promise
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-04
Updated: 2016-07-02
Packaged: 2018-07-12 07:02:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 17,333
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7090684
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ActualRealLiveFiveYearOld/pseuds/ActualRealLiveFiveYearOld
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Based off of an AU:<br/>Person A summons a demon (person B) to be their friend.<br/>All Dan wanted was a friend.<br/>Arin just needed something to pass the time.<br/>Both of them underestimated each other.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

"Okay, I guess this is how it's done." Daniel cut into his arm easily, holding it over the clay bowl on his floor. He held his knees against his chest, curled in a sitting position next to the bowl. He felt bad for bothering him with his meaningless request, as he was sure the king of Hell was a busy person.  
"Mortal. What is it that you wish?" The still air rustled as the man appeared.  
He stood before the hunched over boy, already endeared by his humility. He didn't look the type to summon him. Arin actually hadn't ever been summoned for a deal before.  
"I... I just want a friend." He didn't look up.  
"Speak up, mortal. Look me in the eye."  
Arin chuckled darkly when the boy shrunk into himself.  
Dan looked up, mustering all the strength he could in two seconds. He surprised the other by speaking clearly.  
"I want you to be my friend."  
Dan was shocked at the appearance of the demon. He expected horns and teeth, fangs and claws prepared to tear into him. Not... this. He had a blonde streak running through light brown hair, and patchy scruff in the same color. He looked younger than Daniel, about seventeen to his eighteen. He was kind of pudgy, but solid. He looked... warmer than he thought he would. He was handsome. Not supernaturally beautiful, but humanly handsome.  
"You know the price." Arin could feel that this kid didn't get it. There was something in him that wanted to save him, like a kicked puppy.  
"I know." Dan couldn't stand to stare at him anymore, suddenly feeling as though he were majorly inferior to the man before him. He bowed his head and stared at his knees, hair working to cover his face. Arin reached forward and grabbed his chin, forcing him to stare. His hand burned against Dan's face, almost causing a sizzling sound as it collided with his freezing skin.  
"This is how you wish to spend your soul, Daniel Avidan?"  
"If it's not too much to ask, Your Highness," Dan tried to avoid eye contact, but Arin held fast.  
"I'll do it," he said, and Dan visibly relaxed. It seemed he was more afraid of rejection than being killed.  
"But, I need to know some things about you."  
"What's that, Your Excellence?"  
"Call me Arin, for Christ's sake." The teen's royal, cold demeanor disappeared in an instant. He smiled, and Dan did too.  
"Sorry... Arin."  
Arin sat down on Dan's bed, looking around the room.  
"You like Rush?" He pointed to a poster.  
"Yeah, they're my favorite band! Do you listen to them?" Dan warmed up to him very quickly, sitting beside him on the bed.  
"Listen to them? I worshipped them." Arin stared at the poster.  
Dan giggled.  
"The King of Hell worships a band?"  
"What else am I supposed to look up to? "  
"Dunno."  
"So, what do you like to do? What school do you go to, things like that?"  
"Oh, I go to Jefferson High, about two streets over. I'm a junior, held back for a year."  
"Why were you held back?"  
"I missed a lot of school. Couldn't pass my classes!" Dan chuckled. Arin could feel he was conflicted, and decided not to pry.  
"Where's everyone else in your house?"  
Arin scanned his room, but seemed to be looking past it.  
"Oh, my aunt's away a lot. She um... she doesn't come home often. How could you tell?"  
"I can sense presences. Each person feels a certain way. If they're righteous, it's a prickly feeling that screams 'stay away'. But the bad ones, they're like settling into a memory foam mattress."  
Dan listened to Arin go on about people's auras and presences. After he slowed down, Dan was able to speak.  
"What do I feel like? Or, like... how do I feel? God, that sounds so gay." Danny giggled, and surprisingly, Arin followed suit.  
"That's not nearly gay enough!" Arin suggestively put his hand on Dan's thigh. Dan clenched his fist beside him, willing himself to calm down and not wince. He was normal, he could handle someone touching his leg.  
"I think I'm in the mood for a really gay answer to my question." Dan smiled, pushing all of his discomfort aside.  
"I don't know... hold on." Arin walked to the middle of the floor and closed his eyes, pushing his subconscious through the room.  
"Kind of like lying in the snow."  
"Laying in the snow?" Danny snorted.  
"Yeah," Arin seemed completely serious. "It's a bit uncomfortable, but there's a sense that if I stayed long enough, if I waited, it might melt into something nice." Arin went silent, imagining it.  
"That IS really gay."  
Arin burst out laughing with him, falling over to lean on his shin, still dangling off of the bed.  
"But seriously, I'm like laying in the snow?"  
"Yeah, totally dude. It's weird, because I don't usually get temperature. You're really cold," Arin contemplated it.  
"Oh, I know why!" He exclaimed, and clamped the fiery heat of his hand around Dan's corpse-like one. Dan tried to yank it back, but Arin grabbed the other hand and held them in between his in an attempt to warm them.  
"You're actually really cold. It's like that so much that it's become a part of you. That's fucking sick, dude."  
"I probably am going to be fucking sick if you keep holding my hands, dude. You're so warm!" He grabbed Arin's hand and held it back to his face.  
"It's one of those King-of-hell perks."  
How could someone be so cold all the time? Arin couldn't think of a way. He grabbed the comforter off of Dan's bed and wrapped it around the older boy's shoulders.  
"Thanks," Dan pulled it tightly around himself.  
"No problem. Y'know, I'd probably be your friend even if you didn't sell your soul to me." Arin stared at him with fierce sincerity.  
"Dude, you can have my soul. I don't care anymore. This is cool. At least I know where I'm going when I'm gone."  
Dan leaned against the back wall, and Arin sat next to him.  
"So it's a deal? Friend until the end?" Arin held his hand out.  
Dan shook it. "Deal. You can have my soul."  
"Now, we have to come up with a phrase that binds us." Arin intertwined their fingers.  
"Like a safe word?"  
"Think more Black Butler, less Fifty Shades."  
"Oh c'mon, like he actually respected her safe word-"  
"A phrase, Dan," Arin chuckled. This was a conversation for later.  
"'Like laying in the snow'." Dan decided, after a bit of thought.  
His eyes traveled to meet Arin's.  
Arin nodded.  
"'That's how you feel to me'."  
Arin sent a message to his demons via one that he summoned to the room. He informed them that he would be taking temporary leave of Hell, returning to it once a month to check up. Bodily harm was threatened to each and every one that stepped out of line, and Dan sat on the bed in complete silence. He was back to an upright fetal position, curled completely into himself. After the demon had been dismissed in a language Dan had never heard, Arin walked over to the bed and unfolded him from his lawn chair-esque stature.  
"If your aunt is out, I'll stay here with you. Like a sleepover." To be honest, being the King Of Hell didn't leave much room to have friends. This was nice.  
"You can use my clothes, if you want." Danny held up a shirt, then discarded it immeadiatly. Arin became confused when he did that to six more shirts, emotions flaring every time he laid eyes on them.  
"It's okay. I'm getting everything I'll need sent up. It should be here soon."  
Suddenly, a suitcase appeared in the room next to where Dan had done the ritual. Why did it feel like hours since then?  
"It has clothing, some cash, and toiletries," Arin explained.  
"Won't they miss you if you're gone from Hell that long?"  
"Nah, time is different in Hell. This won't be too long for them."  
"Oh..."   
Danny had forgotten that this was forced. No matter how long Arin was with him, he would never be more than a deal, a microscopic section of eternity.  
He was used to that.


	2. The First Day I Saw You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is p sad

Danny awoke to a burning heat wrapped around him. His eyes shot open in the darkness, and fell onto the sleeping figure of Arin.  
So Arin was a cuddler.  
Dan was happy he could wake up warm for once not caused by the fire of blind panic, but this was Too Close.  
His heart sped up and skipped like a broken record as he yanked himself out of the demon's arms, falling onto the floor. Arin didn't even seem to stir.  
Dan sped into the bathroom, catching his shoulder on the frame in his mad dash.  
  
Arin sat up in the bed, carding one hand through his messy hair. Dan had run pretty fast, and he would have a burn on his arm from Dan leaving his arms if he could bruise.  
He had been so scared. Was Dan afraid of him? Who wouldn't be?   
He was the King of Hell.   
Of course Dan was afraid of him.  
Arin didn't understand why he felt so awful about scaring him. When he was small he had opted to keep his emotions, and thus understood that he would be upset. But his dismay was so present. Maybe it had to do with the deal.  
Arin didn't have much time to think before Dan swung the door open, smiling. He seemed happy enough, even his emotive state was calm.   
"Sorry about waking you. I just thought I should get ready for school."  
He was lying.  
"Was I out of line? Y'know, stealing your sheets?"  
Dan swallowed, flicking his eyes away, then back to him.  
"No. I was just startled. I don't wake up with someone on me often," he explained.  
Arin seemed... disappointed?  
"You don't have to stop. I won't freak out anymore." He added.  
Arin smiled a bit after that. "Alright, out of the way, fruitcake. I need to get a shower."  
"I may be a fruitcake, but you're my snuggle man." Dan caught him as he passed, smacking his lips obnoxiously.  
"Shut up!" Arin pulled away from him, sprinting into the bathroom. He slammed the door, and Dan tried to knob. It was locked.  
  
At 7 a.m., Dan yelled from downstairs.   
"Arin, come on! We need to be there by 7:30!"   
"Don't get your panties in a twist, I'll have someone drive us."  
"Oh... I usually walk."  
"Not anymore."  
They walked out, and Dan stopped. Arin walked past him to the baby blue Mustang, humming as he pulled the door open.  
"You coming?"  
"I don't know what- I- what is this?"  
"It's a car. Get in, loser. I'm holding the door and everything!"  
"Okay..." Dan laughed and ducked into the backseat.  
Arin got in next to him, shutting the door. After a bit of confusion with the buckles (Arin was sitting on his), the man in front took off, driving much faster than what could be legal. They were never stopped though, and got to school on time.   
"Arin, you might want to get out now. I can come out in a couple minutes."  
"I can wait." He leaned against the side of the car while Dan gathered all of his things.  
"Go ahead, Ar. It's probably better that you don't see."  
"Shut up, dude." Arin grabbed Dan's arm and pulled him out of the car. Dan had clearly been stalling, as he hadn't pulled anything out to gather back up.   
Dan protested, but Arin grabbed his hand and pulled him along. Dan walked in front of him, and Arin watched him transform from a lighthearted, funny dude into a hunched over, nervous ball of tension. As they walked towards the school, Arin began to realize why.  
Calls of " _hey, faggot_!" And other whispers followed the boy.   
"What's up, freak?" A ringleader-type guy stood in front of Dan, and the boy avoided eye contact. He hunched over more, and Arin couldn't believe it.   
"Just let me pass, Kent." Dan could barely be heard over the chatter of the schoolyard.  
"What, are you late for a date? What's your boyfriend's name, huh?" The kid shoved one of his shoulders. Dan allowed himself to be pushed, stepping back with the force. He was nothing like the solid wall that had slammed into him that morning. Arin stepped forward and pushed Dan behind him. They made eye contact, and Dan looked close to tears. His eyes told him not to interact or invoke anything worse. Like Dan had seen and felt worse.  
"Is this him, Avidan? Wow," the kid eyed him up and down. Kent smiled smugly, and addressed Arin.  
"You could do better."

"Why, are you looking for someone?" Arin continued staring at the boy coldly.   He stood tall over the teen, standing at about 6'2. Dan could as well, but he seemed to want to appear smaller.   
"Nah, but some girls here would be interested," he clapped Arin on the shoulder jovially, like he hadn't just pushed Dan.   
"No thanks. I think I'm good if they're anything like you."  
"Oh, man," the kid laughed. "You should hang with me sometime. You're hilarious." He looked behind Arin, where Dan was holding his backpack like a small child.   
"Maybe ditch Clingy there and meet me around lunch?" The kid was trying to be his friend!  
"We have to go, Arin. It's 7:23," Dan whispered behind him, his stomach churning. Would the deal cover things like this?  
Arin maintained constant eye contact as he threw his arm around Dan's shoulders. Once they were out of earshot, Dan shook him off glumly.   
"What's wrong?"  
"You can go hang out with them if you want. I don't mind."  
"They're a bunch of assclowns. I bet he would piss himself if you actually stood up to him."  
Dan giggled.  
"So why don't you?" Arin asked. They were walking towards his first class.   
"It's not worth it, y'know?"  
He was lying again. Dan stopped Arin outside of the classroom.  
"Won't the teachers ask questions?"  
"Don't worry about it. I'm not your normal classmate." Arin winked.  
  
He had been right. Arin had answered questions and sat next to Dan, but no teachers questioned his presence. When the bell rang for lunch, Arin was smiling smugly heading towards the lunchroom.  
"I told you."   
"How did you do that?" Dan laughed in disbelief.   
"I told you. It only took a bit of persuasion."  
Dan was about to respond when Kent shoved his way between them.   
"Arin, hey! What's up, man?" The teen steered Arin away from Dan, who had resumed his passive manner. Arin turned towards him, but he had been lost in the hallway, walls of people between them. He didn't see that Dan remained surrounded even after most of the students had migrated to the lunchroom.  
"What's up, Avidan?"  
"How's your boyfriend?"  
Four guys stood around him in a circle. They backed Kent no matter what he did, and they delighted in calling him names each morning. Then there were days like these, stood in the hallway.   
"He's not my boyfriend," Dan mumbled   
"What was that?" One of the boys asked, leaning in close to him.   
"Speak up, fag."  
"He's not my boyfriend." Dan raised his voice. He knew after he spoke, he should have stayed silent. He was in too deep now.  
"Oh, so you're acting like a smart ass now?"  
"No, I just-"  
"Shut up."  
Dan stared at the ground. He hated being spoken over, but he was used to it. He didn't even look up when they grabbed his arms and started pulling him towards the door.  
"What's the time, Jason?"   
"11:30. We've got forty five minutes."  
They threw the door open, and the brisk New Jersey air hit his skin.   
The first kid turned to Dan, smiling.  
"We have a lot of time to kill, then."  
Arin had thought Dan would meet him in the lunchroom, but he was nowhere to be found. At 11:20, Kent came over to the table he had chosen.   
"Hey, Ar."  
Dan had called him that. Wasn't the name Arin short enough?  
"Have you seen Dan?" He looked at the teen. His aura flicked from tension to passive relaxation.   
"Who cares? Hey, this girl wanted to talk to you, I'll go get her!"  
Kent dashed away, bringing back a girl who was definitely out of school dress code.  
"I'll let you two talk, and I'll be back."  
"Kent, wait-"  
He dashed away, out of the lunchroom.  
  
  
Dan's head bounced off of the brick wall, causing fireworks to go off behind his eyes. He stayed silent as the blond boy reeled back for a third time. His nose dripped onto his shirt. Great, another one ruined. The fist collided with him, but it was wildly miscalculated. He felt himself go breathless when it collided with his throat as the three other boys cheered, holding him upright on the wall.   
"Stop." A cold voice cut through the air.  
The boys halted, and Dan dropped to his knees on the field. Dan looked up, hopeful. Kent was standing in front of him.  
"Oh, did you think it was Arin? Actually, he's talking to a girl right now. Hottest girl in the grade. You should have seen how excited he was to drop your ass," Kent leaned down next to him.  
"I bet that he'll run out here like he's going to protect you, but he's just doing that to look good. We've really hit it off. I said it before, he can do so much better than you. He called you a drag, even. Said it was kinda sad to see how lonely you were."  
Dan clenched and unclenched his fists, lifting one to rub against his eyes.   
He was lying, he was lying, he was LYING... right?  
But where was Arin?  
He didn't even look for him.   
He saw Kent watching him, then he began to walk away.  
"Go on, you guys. You've got twenty more minutes."  
  
Arin was fourteen minutes into this conversation and he still didn't know this chick's name. She blathered on and on about meaningless things, about people he didn't know. His skin itched, like something was wrong.  
Where was Dan? He needed to find him. He got up, only to be sat back down by Kent, who walked up behind him.  
"Hey, Arin. Leaving so soon?"  
"Yeah, sorry," he put on a kind smile. Maybe if he was cool to these guys, Dan wouldn't have to deal with them anymore.  
"I'm failing history, and I need to go to tutoring. It really sucks."  
He looked at the girl, winking.   
"It was really nice to meet you."  
She smiled and giggled, covering her mouth. God, he didn't want to be doing this.   
When he left the lunchroom, he was finally able to push out his aura to find Dan without being overwhelmed. He locked onto one that seemed like elation, and went towards it. As he got closer, he pulled his aura back. The person offered no resistance to the prodding of his mind.   
"Dan?" Arin continued to follow the first trail, because he felt something else.  
Hidden in three or four auras was one that he almost missed. It was like a small red ball being thrown in the ocean.   
"Dan?" He was greeted with the empty silence of the hallway. Were they oustide?  
  
Dan was losing consciousness.  It wouldn't be long now until they beat him into a concussion. He felt one of the arms holding him up relax a bit.  
"Hey, it's kinda cold, right?" One of the boys looked around.  
It was cold, but he was so relaxed in this dark state.  
_Like lying in the snow_.  
  
Arin's head began pounding viciously,  and the tiny aura exploded. Though it seemed small, his entire mind was driven toward it. He threw the door open. No, the door was blasted open without actual contact. He spotted a wall nearby, behind the gym. Four boys swung at something seemingly pinned to it. One of them moved to reveal a unruly lock of hair, and Arin shifted into overdrive.  
"What the hell?" One of the boys turned and saw him. Arin had murder in his eyes and a phrase burning in his mind.  
The wind whipped his hair around, and he swore the sky darkened.  
"Back off." It sounded like a second voice had added to his own, in terrifying unison.   
The boys backed away to reveal Dan, who laid slumped against the wall. Arin shoved one of them aside, letting him fall. Arin stumbled forward as the boys ran away and the rush left him. Dan was no longer in danger, and the bond relaxed.  
He laid against the wall, breathing heavily. Dan had dried blood coming from his nose and bottom lip that traveled down his neck. His cheeks were dotted with crimson, and he was going to bruise like hell.   
"Come on, we're going to your house." Arin looked around for teachers, attempting to avoid complication.  
"No one... coming." Dan spoke between breaths, "They never do."  
"Alright, buddy. Let's get you home." Arin grabbed him and hoisted him up. Dan shoved him away forcefully, and Arin could see he felt angry and upset.  
"I can walk by myself. Go take the car." He sounded cold, but Arin assumed it was because of the earlier events.  
Dan began to walk, swaying dangerously.   
"Dan, get in the car."  
"No, I'm walking."  
Dan was definitely not going to make it back if he walked.   
"Dan, are you angry with me?" It was a shot in the dark.  
"No."  
"Then what's wrong?" He was yelling at this point.  
"Because I don't want to be in a car with you!" Dan screamed at him. Arin stepped back. A resolve filled him, and he stomped over to the teen. He grabbed Dan's arm with force, opening the back door and throwing him in. Arin pulled keys put of nowhere and slammed the door. Dan blinked as he laid in the back, startled. The demon got into the front seat, and the door cracked into place behind him. Jamming the key into the ignition, Arin turned around.  
"Look, I get it if you're scared of me or some other shit, but there's no reason to be stupid about it."  
Dan couldn't think of an answer. Did Arin think that Dan was afraid of him? He didn't get a chance to ask before Arin was speeding off towards his house. Dan stared up at the roof of the car. Something didn't feel right about this. Was he so sure that Arin abandoned him to talk to a girl?  
He didn't seem the type... but he barely knew the guy.   
He had to remind himself.  
He barely knew this guy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember to leave a review if you like the story... or not. I'll read it anyway.


	3. Learning All I Can From You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Love is patient, love is kind. Slow to anger? Maybe not.

Arin was a storm walking into the house. Dan felt very small again, just hoping that the anger in the house would pass by him.   
But he was the reason it happened.   
A hopeless, heavy feeling weighted him down, an almost physical pang of fear joined the symphony of pain that his body had become. Arin stomped around, gathering God-knows-what.  
Arin felt the fear drive through Dan, and slowed in his endeavor. No, he was determined to be upset. It was easier to be upset than sorry.  
  
Dan shrank back as Arin approached him, almost whimpering.   
"Arin, I'm sorry, just _please_ -" Dan stopped when a cold washcloth was pressed to his face. Arin was concentrating on wiping the dry blood from Dan's chin and neck, gently removing sand mixed with it.   
They were silent for a bit, mostly because Dan was shocked at the tenderness.   
"I'm sorry." Arin's voice shook Dan out of his thoughts.   
"Wha- what do you mean?"  
"I should have gone back for you in the hallway. I thought that if I was nice to the dick, he might be easier on you."  
"That's really nice."  
Silence.   
Dan began thinking out loud.  
"When I heard about that girl, I actually  thought-"  
"How did you know I was talking to a girl?"  
Dan froze.    
"You _were_ with a girl?"  
"Yeah, we talked for a while."  
"You mean when I was getting the shit kicked out of me? Is that when you called me a _drag_?" Arin's words had lit a fire in Dan's eyes, and he kindled it with misunderstanding.  
"I don't know what-"  
"Shut up. I don't even want to hear it." Dan stood up, pushing Arin's hands from him. He walked up the stairs quickly. They were the same height, but there was no doubt that Dan had longer legs. He was in his room with the door locked before Arin was up the stairs. Arin pounded on it, making it quake on its hinges.  
"Dan! What are you doing? Come out here and talk like a man!"  
"How can I be a man if I'm nothing but a drag, Arin?"  
"What are you talking about?"  
"I mean, if you just came to me because you thought I was sad, then you can go." Dan lowered his voice, like it was too heavy to hold up. He choked a bit on the words before yelling.  
"Keep my soul, I don't care."  
Arin stopped before knocking again. He was pretty sure this was against the deal, but he would have stayed anyway. Arin hadn't wanted to resort to this, but he held his hand over the doorknob. Something clicked into place, and the handle turned. He opened it to see Dan setting something up with the ritual bowl. When he noticed Arin staring, he pushed past him and walked out of his bedroom.  
"Why are you trying to break off the deal?" The bowl contained salt, cloves, and a lock of thick hair.   
Dan continued past him, walking through the house. Arin stared at his retreating back.  
"Stop walking away from me! Answer my question!"   
Dan spun like a top, and stood almost nose to nose with Arin.  
"Get out. Leave me alone, go back to Hell. Go hang out," Dan's hands shook, and Arin felt his fear and his anger battling, "Go hang out with your _whore._ "  
  
Arin's heart ballooned. He was glad Dan couldn't pick up on emotions, because Dan would've snapped. Arin grabbed Dan's shoulders and slammed him into the wall of the hallway.   
"Listen here, you ass. I don't exactly know how things work topside, but I'm pretty sure all I've done is help you. If you have an issue, talk to me instead of running!" He was yelling at him, and he saw tears shining in Dan's swollen eyes. His fear had won out, and Arin's thoughts were assaulted with images of an arguing couple, of bruises hidden beneath graphic tees and feelings under years of experience. This fear ran much deeper than what he had seen of Dan before.   
This wasn't the boy with hunched shoulders, this was a frightened child who knew too much evil.  
Arin released Dan like a hot coal and backed away from him. Sliding down the wall, he felt Dan's anger and fear was thankfully replaced with confusion, and Arin could breathe again. Dan stepped forward tentatively and put a hand on the demon's shoulder, the argument forgotten.  
"Arin, are you alright?"  
"Yeah, just... Jesus, man. You've been through some shit."

"Yeah, today kind of blew." Dan gave a small smile.  
"No, man," Arin's eyes were wide, "you've had it tough a lot longer than today. Since you were a kid."  
Dan went still. His emotions went into a neutral state, more of a buzz than any kind of feeling.  
"How do you know that?"   
"You were scared of me. You were terrified. I'm sorry."  
"I wasn't scared. Not of you." It didn't sound convincing.  
"I'm sorry, Dan. I could see it, all of the things that you dealt with."  
It was no wonder they went off on each other so easily, or had gotten so close in only two days.   
"How did you see that?"  
"I don't know, you were just so scared. It transferred, and I saw what you thought was going to happen."  
"I don't understand, is it something with the deal?"   
"I know just as much as you do. But there is one thing I know, you can't go back to that school."  
"I have to, Arin. I need to graduate."  
"I can just get you a tutor or something.  It's no big deal."  
"You can do that?"  
"I can do a lot of things. Like this," Arin stroked Dan's cheek with his thumb, and the pain evaporated from his face. His eyes could widen again, even his vision had improved.  
"Holy shit." Dan laughed, reaching up to his face. He got up from where he had been kneeling next to the demon, running to the bathroom. Soon after, Dan came sprinting back out.  
"Oh my God!" Dan's smile was contagious, and soon Arin followed suit.  
"I know, right?"  
"Oh, my GOD!" Dan's hands were tangled in his hair, and he was the epitome of shocked.   
"You said that already."  
"You even cleared up my acne! That's insane." He ran back into the bathroom to make sure nothing had changed.  
"Why didn't it do anything to my chest? Not that I'm not grateful, I can deal with those pains!" He assured.  
"I can only do small areas at a time. Any more right now and I'll probably pass out."   
"That's fine, dude. Don't exhaust yourself. This is really awesome." Dan ran his hand over his face again, giggling.  
Dan helped Arin stand back up, and leaned against him.  
"Dude, it's crazy. I met you yesterday, but it feels like it's been YEARS."  
"I think a lot of this was supposed to happen. Minus the whole you-still-losing-your-soul thing."  
"Keep it, man. Then you can do shit to it when I'm dead. Draw dicks on my face, that kinda stuff."  
"Was it worth it?"  
"Dude, my life got immediately better since yesterday."  
"You got beat up this morning."  
"Still a good day."  
"And you're still really cold."  
"Shut up, Arin."  
"No, I'm serious! Let's grab a blanket and watch a movie or something."  
"Shouldn't we just go to bed?"  
"Did you know I've never seen Lord of The Rings?" Arin bumped Dan's shoulder.   
"What? You haven't?!"  
Arin shook his head proudly.  
"Go and get a blanket. I'll meet you in the living room." Dan was all business.  
Arin smiled excitedly and ran up the stairs, listening to Dan mutter  
 "Never seen Lord of the Rings, I guess he really did live in Hell, I can't believe it."  
  
Three hours later, the two were tangled up under a blanket, watching the ending credits of the first movie. The popcorn was running low, and the credits were coming to a close.  
"That was awesome!" Arin's eyes were bright.  
"Okay, but I have to pee."  
"So go pee!"   
"You know, I would love to. But I can't tell whose legs are whose."  
Arin unwrapped his legs from Dan, and stood up.  
"I'll get more popcorn and drinks, you go pee."  
"Cool, got it."  
  
Arin was mixing Coke and Cherry Sprite when Dan wandered back out. He hugged him from behind, watching over his shoulder.  
"Can I help you?" Arin was waiting for the fizz to go down, lest he overflow the cup.  
"You're warm."  
"Yeah, and blind thanks to your dumb hair." He reached up and grabbed a curly lock, releasing it like a spring back into the rat's nest that was Dan's hair.  
"It's not dumb. It's cool." Dan sounded defensive, but didn't move from his position.  
"Yeah, super cool. Let's go, we have a ton of movies to get through." He picked up the snacks and Dan remained attached to him.   
A couple of movies later, Arin realized how comfortable he was. They were halfway through The Notebook (Dan couldn't believe he hadn't seen that one either) and Dan was already getting weepy. They had switched to a half-laying down position, with Dan's head in the crook of Arin's neck. Arin had a perfect view of the boy reaching up to scrub at his eyes, and tightened the hold that he had on his hip. The movie wasn't all that sad, but Dan's sadness brought him down a bit.  
"Dan, I'm gonna go to sleep, alright?" An whispered. Dan nodded as Arin shifted himself, now with Dan laying in front of him, their legs tangled back together. He pulled the shifted blanket back over them, discreetly hiking Dan's shirt up a bit over his stomach. He had perfect vision in the dark, and winced at the bruises he could see there. Running his thumb over the exposed skin, he concentrated with all he had. He watched the bruises fade as his vision darkened. He was glad he had already said goodnight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Please leave a review if you liked it because I'm an awful person who needs validation


	4. It's Only A Week

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arin has to go away for the first time, and Dan isn't sure about it.

Dan had awoken the next morning again wrapped in Arin's arms. It would be the same for weeks afterwards, even if they had fallen asleep in different parts of the house. Dan always ended up with Arin, and he had guessed that he just sleepwalked and curled up next to him. Dan wondered if it bothered him, but it never came up in daily conversation. He spent a lot of time doing the work the tutor assigned, and Arin would sit at his feet doing paperwork, but the two of them spoke little in those times. Dan would never remember to ask when they did speak, opting instead for joking flirtations that could be jokes and brushing off anything that the other asked about their past. They were laughing into the night one evening, and Dan had an idea. Arin looked tired, so Dan decided to stay up that night and not bother him.   
"Go get some sleep, Ar. You look tired."  
"Yeah. You sure you don't want to come with? I mean, you'll probably end up there anyway." Arin smiled.  
"Nah. I wouldn't want to bother you."  
Arin tried to hide his disappointment as he walked towards his bedroom.  
"Goodnight."  
"Night."   
The door shut and Dan opened a book, determined to leave Arin alone for the night.   
  
It was three a.m. when Arin wandered into his room. He opened the door and locked eyes with Dan, surprised.  
"Were you coming in to sleep?"  
"I didn't think you'd be awake."  
"I thought I'd leave you alone. Let you sleep a bit."  
Arin went silent, debating.  
"I don't need sleep. I'm a demon."  
"Then why do you sleep every night?"  
"I don't need it, but I enjoy it. And what's the gosh dang point if I can't be comfy?"  
Arin flopped onto the bed.  
"Hey, c'mon. I'm reading." Arin was slung across his lap.   
"Too bad. Sleep with me, Danny." Arin grabbed his collar and stared up through hooded eyes. He was putting up a good argument.  
"Now, I hate to turn down a proposal like that from a hot demon, but I'm invested in this book."  
Arin's head remained in his lap, trying subtly to get his attention. Suddenly, he shuffled over on his knees. He fell like a tree, taking Dan down with him, back bouncing against the mattress. The book fell, and the two faced each other. Arin's arms were wrapped around him once more. He smelled like brimstone and felt like fire, but Dan scooted closer. He felt Arin smile against his shoulder as Dan reciprocated, drawing small circles on his back.   
"Arin, this is sweet and all, but the light is still on."  
Arin reached back without looking, and the light flicked off.   
"I forgot I was cuddling actual Satan."  
"Damn straight."  
"I think straight is the wrong word here."  
"Fine then, damn gay."  
The two were silent. Arin needed something to say before it got awkward.  
"Did I ever tell you that I saw Rush live?"  
"No way! You have to tell me about it."  
Dan giggled, and the two of them swapped stories until the warmth mixed with lack of sleep, pulling him into the darkness with which he was surrounded.   
Arin leaned into his sleeping form, trying to get impossibly closer. With his vision being heightened in the dark, he could focus on every detail in the teen's face. Arin could see his long eyelashes that framed wide, expressive eyes falling over his high cheekbones. He needed to shave, and he smelled like Old Spice and a deep freezer. Arin studied him like he had studied Rush, poring over the history of the teen. After three weeks, he knew so much about this kid. Dan could fill an eternity just talking about music, and you'd feel like it only lasted ten minutes. Time wasted away to nothing but dust when Dan would grab his hand.   
So yeah, maybe he had a tiny crush on the guy.   
But he could handle it without Dan even knowing, easily. He's got this.

Arin _so_  doesn't got this.   
Turns out when you have a tiny crush on someone, it can very quickly become something much bigger.  
It had been two weeks since his revelation, and Dan was making this very hard on him.   
Well, Dan hadn't changed. Arin's perception of him had. Arin would stare longer than he was supposed to and feel like he was crossing a line even when the behavior was normal. He had been trying to back off, to let Dan figure it out, and that proved to be incredibely difficult. But it was alright, because it was only three days before he went back to Hell for the week.  
"Are you sure you have to go?" Dan stood in the doorway, watching Arin organize the hundreds of documents he'd gone through in the first month.  
"Yeah, I told them that I'd come back once a month. Can't break promises."  
Dan wilted a bit. Arin's heart gave a painful squeeze.  
"You'll be alright for a week. It's not that big of a deal, Dan."   
He put his papers down and sat on the bed, rubbing his eyes. This was exhausting.   
"Do you... want tea, or something?" Oh God, Dan was already becoming unsure of himself.   
"How about we go to the store?"  
"Don't your people usually do that?"  
"Well, we can do it for today. Maybe we'll get some snacks or something. Come on." Arin grabbed his hand. He still wasn't used to the near-chemical reaction that occurred when the two of them touched. It was both the feeling of a match burning too close to your hand, and the coolness of one not yet struck. Still, he powered through and tugged Dan along, out the door.  
  
Shopping on an empty stomach was an issue. At least Arin had a lot of money to spend, as the two of them filled up a cart with food in less than an hour.   
"Zebra Cakes? What the hell?" Dan picked up the thin box and turned it over to read it.   
"Have you never had Zebra Cakes?"   
"No, I don't think I have."  
Staring at Dan, Arin added two more boxes to the cart.  
  
Arriving at the CD aisle, Dan stopped.   
"You go on, I'll find you." He waved him on, not taking his eyes off of the rack.  
"I'll be right back."  
Arin left with the cart, smiling. He knew exactly what would keep Dan occupied while he was gone.  
Hiding the iPad behind his back, Arin came back to where Dan was fondling the CDs. He came up quietly behind him and put his arms around him, holding the iPad box at eye level.   
"What? Arin!" Dan grabbed it in disbelief. Arin reached into the bag on his arm, pulling out a set of earbuds and a gift card with a gross amount of money loaded onto it.  
"Oh, my god! Arin, I can't take this. It's too much."  
"Just take it, dude. It's nice to see you happy."  
God, it really was. A lot of people say that a person can light up, but they couldn't come close. Dan looked like a kid on Christmas and his birthday, like Arin had literally handed him the world. He looked beautiful.  
Well, handsome at least.  
Dan gathered Arin into a hug, spindly arms pulling him close.   
"Wait until we get home, eh?"  
Arin chuckled, and Dan could hear his heartbeat.  
"Sorry, sorry." Dan rubbed at his eyes.   
  
They unloaded the groceries at the house and sat down to figure out his tablet.   
"I still can't believe you bought this."   
"Well, it might help keep you company. Maybe we can Skype or something."  
Dan seemed relieved to have some sort of contact with him.  
"What's up, dude? Are you worried about me going back to Hell?"  
Dan nodded. He wasn't going to speak, Arin could feel that.  
"What are you worried about?" He spoke as if to a child. Dan swallowed hard.   
"I'm afraid you won't come back."   
Arin sat back a bit.   
"Why wouldn't I?"  
"You just seem distant lately. It's like you're trying to leave." Dan stared at his legs like they held the answers to any question he may have.  
"That's not what I was trying to do." Arin  said, realizing too late that he shouldn't have. He immeadiatly jumped to rectify it.  
"I didn't want to hold you captive, I guess. I wanted to give you the chance to be your own person, instead of being stuck with me."  
Dan shifted until he caught Arin's eyes with his own.   
"Arin, I've never thought of it as being stuck with you."

Dan didn't have a trace of of laughter in his voice. Arin's heart kicked up, and he was sure the neighbors could hear it.   
"Alright, then that's that." Arin stood up quickly, trying to recover what little subtlety he had left. Dan looked as if he had more to say, yet Arin turned his back on him and hurried out of the room.  
Dan sighed. Had that been too much? He just wanted Arin to know that he cared. He did care. He wanted him to stay with him, maybe not entirely as a friend.   
But that wouldn't work. Arin was a demon, and humans were insignificant in comparison. Besides, Arin probably just thought this was exhausting, watching over him all the time. Dan couldn't compete with anyone, not in looks or confidence.  
He could handle a tiny crush.  
  
The next two days were filled with nervous glances when neither of them were looking. They both stared as long as they could, with Dan watching him in daily routine and Arin spending nights staring at his closed eyes. When the time came, Arin stared out of the window until the sun rose, knowing that if he didn't say it now he would miss his chance. A week back home would shred his confidence about it.  
Dan stepped into the room, and Arin felt that despite his solemn look, the room filled with light.  
"You're leaving today, right?" A question he very well knew the answer to. Dan had more to ask today, though.   
"Hey, do you think-"  
"Dan, I really-"  
The both of them cut each other off, and backed away sheepishly.   
"You can go."  
"You go first."  
Dan smiled, and changed his mind. Arin seemed stressed.  
"I just wanted to say good luck. Going back, I mean. King of Hell and all that."  
"I'm not going to leave you, Dan. We can videochat, and if you need me urgently just light some sage in the bowl. I bought some, it's on the counter."  
Dan's shoulders sagged with relief. He wasn't dependant on a call that he could ignore. Arin stepped forward before he thought and grabbed both sides of Dan's face.  
"I'm not- I'm not just going to go, Dan." He tried to keep the tone lighthearted.  
"You can't get rid of me that easily."  
Dan's eyes dropped to Arin's lips, for a moment, and the only sound in the room was their quiet breathing.  
Arin leaned in a bit, and Dan's eyes looked panicked.   
This isn't what he wanted.  
Arin pushed him away, closing his eyes and waiting for Dan to yell or hit him. Dan just stood there, shell-shocked. He hated him now. Arin knew it.   
"I'm sorry!" Arin grabbed his bag, running into the bathroom and closing the door. Dan ran after him, knocking on the door as it slammed.  
"Arin, I'm sorry, I just panicked! It's okay, I'm not upset!"   
Arin cut into his finger and drew the sigil on the mirror. Dan was afraid of him. He choked on his actions as the knocking on the door got louder. He held his bag and slammed the mirror with the other hand. Dan saw smoke from under the door and grabbed the doorknob.   
"I wanted it too, Arin!"  
The knob turned easily under his hand and he opened the door. The empty bathroom stared back, and the only sound was the tinkling of the shattered mirror falling to the floor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's gonna be like 3 more chapters put up today because I'm excited about where this is going. Remember to leave a review!


	5. If I Lay Here, If I Just Lay Here

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some important discoveries occur.

Dan fell to his knees, gathering up the broken glass. He would be back in a week, there was nothing to worry about.  
Why had he panicked?  
He was afraid, but not of Arin. Oh God, this was such a misunderstanding. It's like he was living a fucking fanfiction. While he was distracted with his thoughts, he didn't notice the pain of his hand sliding over the glass until red droplets were suddenly reflected on the floor. He grabbed his hand indifferently, standing up to run his hand under cold water. Arin could heal him if he were here. But Arin wasn't there to help, which meant Dan had to reach into the cupboard and grab the bandaids.  
The glass could wait. Maybe it could be a testament to how much he was screwing up everything good in his life.  
  
Dan was quiet, moping around the house for the better part of the week. He stayed in bed for most of it, getting up only to shower, go to the bathroom, and get more snacks. Bags littered his bedroom floor, and he never quite got around to picking them up. Even though he was in bed, he barely got sleep. He tossed and turned, but never got to the right setting. He couldn't close his eyes without Arin's face burning behind them, along with the feeling of their hands colliding. He didn't try to video call him, or even burn sage to get his attention. Dan just wanted to stay in his miserable state until Arin decided whether he was done with him. He had finished all of the movies in his shelf before the third day was up, and now he resorted to watching daytime television and falling in and out of sleep. He could _feel_  himself getting paler, but he could stand another day before he started panicking and making himself look nice for Arin. He didn't want to, but he knew he would. 

\----  
Arin knew he had to return. He promised Dan, and this was only the first month. It would get better, it had to. Anything was better than what they were now, if there was anything left after his faux pas. A faux pas, yes, but he refused to call it a mistake. It wasn't one. In fact, anything was better than the tortured screams he could hear from his office. The whips cracked outside his door, and the Liars and Thieves milled around aimlessly. The chains around their wrists chafed and turned them red and raw. Arin closed his eyes. He wondered what Dan had been doing that week. He was probably happy to be away from him, sleeping peacefully without being watched. Arin definitely was zoning out thinking about it.  
"Sire, if I may be so bold?"  
His assistant stood in front of him with a stack of paper. She seemed frightened.  
"Yes, Antionette?" Arin tried to feign disinterest.  
"You're... well, you're-"  
"Spit it out, Anne."  
"You're crying."  
Arin touched his cheek. He was, indeed, crying.  
"Sorry, I was just thinking about something."  
 "Is it a boy?" She teased him. She was the closest to a sister he had, so she had a bit more leeway.  
"Yeah, actually. Some human." It kind of stung to refer to Dan as such. He was so much more.  
"May I inquire further?"  
"No, that's all for today."  
"Well, I have a suggestion."  
He looked up from his papers.  
"Go see the human. I can take care of this and summon you if anything else is needed. Go to him today, as I feel that he is moping just as much as you."  
She smiled and started picking up his papers to pack. Arin stared in disbelief.  
"I don't think he feels the same as I do. I think he's doing fine without me," Arin picked the paper back up to hide behind.  
Antionette plucked the paper from his hands and packed it into the case.  
"Go to him, Arin. I think he may need you."  
The thought of Dan actually being negatively affected by his absence hadn't even crossed his mind. His heart raced as he ran to the wall where the sigil had been drawn all week, barely stopping to grab his case. He slammed the marking with his hand and expelled the smoke from his lungs. He was going to surprise him. He just hoped Dan wouldn't kick him right back out.

 

Arin stared at the carnage that was left in the bathroom. He had shattered the mirror, and had to adjust his course to the shards that were left hanging. There was glass everywhere, there was blood on the floor...  
There was blood on the floor.  
Why was there blood?  
He opened the door slowly, but deliberately. Was someone in the house? Was Dan being held hostage?  
"Dan?" Arin whispered through the house. No response. He heard a voice in Dan's room. It sounded hostile. Arin was hesitant to reach his aura out in case it wasn't human.  
Arin opened Dan's bedroom door with his aura ready to strike, only to be rudely forced back into himself at the sight of Dan sleeping fitfully with the TV playing in the background. Some old crime movie. Arin checked the time, and realizes just how late he was. It was almost 2:00, and Dan was asleep, of course. Arin stared at the state of the room.  
Chip bags littered the floor, and things were knocked over everywhere. Empty soda cans and oddly, a bottle of wine, were propped about. How had Dan fared while Arin had been gone? Arin picked up the trash and threw it away, and put some of his clothes in the washer. He untangled the blankets from Dan's legs and set it at the foot of the bed. He seemed warm, which was odd. Maybe he was just overheated from the blanket.  
As soon as he turned his back, he heard Dan's teeth chatter.  
"C'mon, you're too hot." Arin spoke, but he didn't think Dan would respond.  
"Hot damn," Dan sang halfheartedly.  
"Call the police and the fireman."  
Arin scoffed, but he was smiling.  
"Get back to sleep. You're delirious."  
"I will. Arin, sleep with me."  
Arin remembered what Dan had said when the same request was made.  
"Now, I hate to turn down a proposal like that from a hot human, but I'm invested in cleaning up your mess."  
Dan buried his face into the pillow, presenting his mass of curls to Arin.  
When he looked up again, his eyes were watering. He still looked half-asleep, like he was gone enough to not remember what he said.  
"Please, Arin?" God, he had the puppy dog eyes. "I can't sleep. I haven't slept all week. Well, barely." He did look awfully tired.  
Arin rolled his eyes and picked up the blanket.  
"Well, scoot over!" He shoved at Dan playfully. Dan rolled over and allowed Arin space to crawl next to him. Dan turned towards him and allowed himself to be enveloped, resting his head in the crook of Arin's neck.  
"Good god, dude. You're burning up. Here..." Arin stroked his thumb across Dan's forehead, and he returned to his freezing state.  
They sat in silence for awhile, until Arin shook Dan's head with the vibrations of his voice.  
"I was really lonely all week."  
"Me too. I barely left this bed."  
He could see that.  
"I'm sorry, man. I don't know what happened last week. It was a dick move." Arin pressed his face into the curly depths of Dan's hair.  
"It's okay. I wanted it too." Dan was so quiet that Arin thought he had imagined it.  
Dan wanted it, too?  
Then, why...?  
Arin thought about asking, but stopped when Dan's quiet snoring filled the air.  
He was asleep. Thankfully, he was no longer the tossing and turning mess that Arin had walked in on.  
Arin had read that when two people are in love, they notice how well the two of them fit together, like puzzle pieces. But Arin marveled at the way they didn't fit together. Their long legs often got tangled instead of romantically intwining, and Dan moved his arms a _lot_  in his sleep. The crook of Arin's neck was small, and Dan's head couldn't slot into it perfectly, and Dan's hair tickled his face when it wasn't pulled back.  
But this is what Arin loved.  
In the riotous life of royalty, there were few peaceful moments. But in this time, Arin's hands could stop shaking and he could just _be_.  
Be happy.  
Be with Dan.  
This is all he wanted, and he had the rest of Dan's life to have that.  
He would tell him. He was comfortable with it now. When Dan woke up, Arin was going to tell him exactly how he felt.

\--------the next morning--------

Dan woke up the next morning with the blanket bundled against him. He thought he had been holding Arin. Had that just been a dream?  
Had Arin left him forever?  
Dan sat up, hair falling into his face. He scrubbed at his eyes, and spotted a yellow sticky note on the pillow next to him. It had been crushed by Dan rolling onto it.  
_'I told you that time moves differently for demons_.'  
It was written in horribly messy handwriting, scrawled like it had been done quickly. He found another on the floor next to the bed.  
' _And you told me that time seeming longer is a bad thing_.'  
He remembered having that conversation with Arin. Arin had said that watching movies with him felt like an eternity, and had to explain himself when he had appeared insulted.  
Another sticky note, in hot pink, was stuck to the bedside table.  
'But when I'm here, the days are longer, and that's the best thing I can think of.'  
Dan stared at the note for a bit. It was too early for this. What was he saying?  
Where was he?  
Dan walked through the house, and stuck up in order of his daily routine were a bunch of sticky notes in varying colors.  
  
_'I don't really understand how things work topside, but courting a demon requires a violent ritual.'_  
  
_'I thought Post-It notes were a bit more romantic_.'  
  
He recognized that Arin was trying to tell him that he liked him. Dan's heart raced as he ran through the house and picked up the notes.  
  
_'A list of movies I haven't seen:_  
_-Up_  
_-Transformers_  
_-Love, Actually_  
_-The Smurfs_ '  
  
The next one was on the shattered mirror.  
  
' _Movies that I'm lying about:_  
_-All of those_ '  
  
Dan laughed. He knew that Arin had  
seen Transformers.  
  
' _I would watch all of them again with you. Even the Smurfs_.'  
  
Dan wrinkled his nose. He really hated that movie. But it was really cute of him to say that.  
  
_'I've seen how many movies are on your shelf. And I've decided that I haven't seen any of them_.'  
  
What? Arin couldn't just decide that he hadn't seen a movie.  
  
_'Because I haven't seen them while holding on to you on the god-awful couch that had to be made of leather for some reason.'_  
  
Dan knew Arin didn't like the couch.  
  
_'(Like what? It doesn't even match the decor!!!!)'_  
  
' _And I haven't seen them with you and I tangled up together, and sour candy dust everywhere making it super uncomfortable, and burnt popcorn because you're weird_.'  
  
That one was written small to fit everything. He had to find Arin. He had to tell him he felt the same.  
He stopped.  
Was this a goodbye? Where was Arin?  
  
_'So I checked the forecast and it's supposed to rain today..._ '  
  
What did this have to do with anything?  
  
' _And I saw how much you cried in that scene in The Notebook_.'  
  
It was posted on the table, where breakfast had been made. There was another one on the curtain to the back porch that seemed to have been handled with wet hands.  
  
_'So come out here and kiss me in the rain before I realize how uncomfortable I am._ '  
  
\-----------  
Arin was standing in the rain, shivering. The roses he had still possessed their thorns, and damn, that hurt. This didn't feel romantic at all. God, he hoped Dan woke up soon.  
Arin smiled at the thought of Dan reading the notes. He had just spoken from the heart. He jumped when the curtains were thrown back, and Dan was laughing with his hand over his mouth behind the glass door. Arin shrugged and waved him out with his free hand. Dan opened the door hastily, forgetting about wet socks as he tackled the demon. He caught Arin's lips as he mashed their faces together. As Arin expected, this too was imperfect. Their teeth connected painfully, and Dan had _really_  thin lips. But it was everything he wanted. The kiss seemed to last forever, and Arin kept that to himself. They moved in tandem, in an incredibely clumsy manner. When Dan pulled back and rested his clasped hands behind Arin's neck, he had a giant, goofy smile on his face. Arin reciprocated, his hands at Dan's hips.  
"That felt like it was a long time coming." Arin stared at the ground, the gravity of what had happened suddenly catching up with him.  
"Arin, I like you too. And I'm not that good with words... I'm sorry I panicked when you tried before. And I-"  
He was interuppted by Arin pulling him in for another kiss. He gladly obliged, letting his words fall away. When Arin pulled back again, Dan stared at him, dumbfounded.  
"Do you wanna go watch The Smurfs?"  
Dan chuckled and pulled Arin back through the door, out of the rain.  
"God, no."  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leave a review if ya want. I love hearing from you, and I'll take requests for one-shots if you have them. Just message me.
> 
>  
> 
> Enjoy this brief moment of solace, because this is gonna get wrecked.


	6. Too Close To The Edge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oh goodness me I'm gonna get crucified for this

Dan and Arin were working a couple days later when Dan remembered something.  
"Arin?"  
He didn't look up.  
"Babe?"  
Arin stared at the paperwork, deeply invested in whatever it was. Dan stood up from his seat and dropped into the demon's lap. Arin smiled and set down the paper.  
"Can I help you?"  
Dan rested his chin on the top of Arin's head.  
"You were ignoring me."  
"I didn't hear you, baby bear."  
Dan played with the hair in Arin's ponytail as he thought.  
"You were talking about courting a demon in the notes. Do I... do I have to do that ritual?"  
Arin pushed him away gently to look at him.  
"You don't wanna get involved with that, Dan. I'm the king, you don't have to do anything."  
His voice shook, which piqued Dan's curiousity.  
"What do you have to do for the ritual?"  
Arin's eyes connected with his desperately.  
"Dan, it's easier that you don't ask."  
Arin grabbed both sides of his face and pressed their foreheads together. Arin was acting strange about this. He had said that the ritual was violent, so maybe he should leave it alone.  
But if he had to do it, if it was against the rules to be together otherwise, he could do that for Arin.  
"Tell me, Arin. I'd do anything for you."  
"Don't say that. You shouldn't be willing to do that ritual. It's designed to change the person, to mangle their psyche and make the other promise they will still love them in their insanity. You wouldn't... you wouldn't love me in my insanity."  
Arin's voice and hands shook together.  
"Have you done it before?"  
He flinched when Arin's hands tightened in his hair. They relaxed soon after.  
"Yeah, once."  
Dan didn't know why that ached. Arin was much older than him, he had to have had other romantic endeavors. It was foolish to think he had been the first.  
Arin could feel that his comment had sparked a loneliness in Dan, and held him closer.  
"It was supposed to be an arranged marriage. A king, remember? I didn't love her. We were friends, though."  
Dan perked up, but the past tense scared him. He was still in Arin's lap, and he felt less safe.  
"What happened to her?"  
"That's a story for another day."  
"What was her name?"  
"Suzanne. She was my best friend since I was small. She's still alive, though."  
Dan sighed from relief.  
"She's just changed."  
"What do you mean?"  
"When demons die, their soul is usually just cast out of existence, but I made her a Reaper. She collects and judges the dying."  
"Does she enjoy it?"  
"Her letters say that she enjoys being a Reaper much more than a demon. She's a good person."  
"Why was she a demon?"  
"The Bible prohibits suicide. She's gentle, and she wasn't supposed to be there."  
Arin seemed really upset talking about her.  
"I bet she saves a lot of people," Dan smiled, and tried to perk Arin up.  
"Besides, she's still alive! The ritual can't be that bad." He placed a kiss on his forehead and got off of Arin to make him lunch.  
  
They were lying in bed when Arin confessed.  
"I tore her apart, Dan."  
Dan's hand stopped halfway through Arin's hair, which he had been playing with.  
"It's okay, Arin. You didn't have control over it."  
"It was me... all of it. She told me the same thing, but I was the one who did it. Her insanity, she was different. Most lash out, but she tried to hurt herself. She didn't even get near me, but I killed her."  
Dan could hear sorrow in his voice. He had a feeling this conversation was coming, as Arin had been sullen all day.  
Dan was surprised to feel his shirt dampening. Arin hadn't cried in front of him, but he was openly weeping now. He was in pain.  
"If she sees you like I do, she's forgiven you."  
Arin held him closer at that.  
"Don't do that to me too, Dan."  
"I won't. What we have now, it's good."  
"Thank you." Arin was choking up,  
"Get some sleep, Dan."  
Dan didn't sleep at all that night.  
\-----  
"Both parties have acknowledged the rituals validity. Both understand the consequences."  
Antionette sat in the meeting room in Arin's chair, watching the demon and human as they discussed the ritual.  
"They've said that they don't want it!" She stood, raising her voice to the officials. They eyed her coldly.  
"We agreed to wait until His Highness discussed the ritual with the human. Now that they have discussed it, letting them continue as such would be a violation of conduct."  
They were frustratingly professional about the subject.  
"Shouldn't this be the king's choice?"  
"Look," someone on the other side of the table spoke up, "this human has a large effect on the King. It would be better if he were... eradicated."  
Antionette couldn't believe what she was hearing.  
"You want him dead?"  
"It would be beneficial for the kingdom."  
Anne knew she didn't have enough power to refute the officials, but she tried.  
"This ritual has always been consensual. It wouldn't be fair to force then int-"  
"I would advise you to sit down, madame." He spoke loudly, but coldly. She sat down as the meeting was adjourned. No one was to speak about the agreement.  
\---  
Arin and Dan were on their way home from a movie when he got a call to take care of business in Hell.  
"It'll take two hours tops, babe." Arin grabbed some select paperwork and was saying goodbye to Dan. Dan seemed a bit upset, and Arin pulled him in for a kiss. They parted, and Dan was staring at him happily.  
"Okay, go on, King of Hell. Go rule your lands."  
Arin pressed the sigil on the door gently, turning around to wink at Dan before smoke erupted from the area. He turned on some music and began to wash dishes that had begun to pile up.  
He had only filled up the dishwasher halfway when he heard something fall over in another room.  
He sighed gratefully. Arin had kept his promise, it took less than an hour for him to finish business.  
"Hey, babe. What do you want for dinner? I can make spaghetti, or I could-" he turned the corner to see a woman standing there, seemingly mournful.  
Dans mouth went dry.  
"S-Suzy?" He guessed.  
She shook her head.  
"No, but perhaps it would be better if I was, Daniel."  
That scared him more than if she had nodded.  
"I'm Antionette."  
"Arin's assisstant?"  
She froze. Arin spoke about her?  
"Yes. Dan, you have heard of the courting ritual for demons?"  
He smiled sadly. He had a feeling this would be coming.  
"Yes, I've heard. I assume I need to do that?"  
She nodded.  
"Okay, lead the way. Trust me, I'm not afraid of hurting Arin. I'll most likely attack myself," he was explaining himself to quell Antionette's worried look. "And I'm not afraid of him."  
She grabbed his hand.  
"Thank you for your cooperation. I'll take you to the location."  
She pressed a button on her sleeve, and the room filled with smoke. When it cleared, they were in a dark room with a single chair. He took the hint and sat down, being fastened into it.  
This was for Arin.  
He could do this for Arin.  
\---  
Arin appeared in the house, calling out for Dan.  
"Babe, I'm back!"  
Silence greeted him.  
"Babe?"  
Nothing.  
"Danny?"  
Was he mad at him for leaving? No, he seemed happy enough. Arin began walking through the house, opening doors and peeking into rooms. He went over to the kitchen, where the dishwasher laid open, only half full. That was weird.  
He was looking in the laundry room when a voice sounded behind him.  
"Your Majesty?"  
It sounded like...  
"Anne. Where's Danny?"  
"I apologize, sire. I told them not to. I wasn't fit to sit in your place at meetings. They just told me-"  
He crossed the room in seconds, nose to nose with the woman, grabbing her.  
"Where is he, Anne?"  
"The Ritual Center," She blurted out. Arin's hands dropped from her shoulders to his sides.  
"It's okay, he went with me willingly. Everything is fine. He was reassuring me that he is a personal harm."  
Her words began to mold together like dry clay, pressed side by side but creating nothing. He stared at the floor, hair shifted around his face. Not this.  
Not this again.  
"I told them not to."  
Arin was silent in shock as he grabbed her sleeve and pressed the button there.  
He needed to be there. He wouldn't be broken. He would grab him and run.  
He wasn't going to hurt Dan.  
He showed up at the facility on a war path, shoving through attendants and nobility alike. He ran straight into the arena, where people cheered loudly at his arrival.  
"Where is he?" The crowd went silent at his words. "You took him from me! Where is he?"  
The coordinator grabbed the microphone, speaking into it.  
"He's in the Testing Room."  
Arin turned. All of the cage doors around him were locked.  
"Why not just keep me down here? Why send me topside to an empty house?"  
He sounded desperate in front of his kingdom. He knew they thought this was consensual. He didn't blame them.  
"Because, Your Highness-"  
A mournful scream erupted from one side of the arena. It was Dan. Arin's heart leaped toward it. More screams from him followed, making Arin sicker and sicker. He had watched him bear extreme pain in complete silence... what were they doing to him?  
The admin continued.  
"We needed time to break him."


	7. The Arena

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Danny is very scary

Dan's agonized screams filled the quiet arena. Arin listened in horror as Dan very audibly yelled his name. He continued calling for him until it devolved into more animal-sounding screams.   
Then, all at once, everything stopped.   
Two minutes of silence hung in the arena before one of the Roman-Colosseum style doors creaked open. Dan was wheeled out in a wooden chair, strapped to it. He was staring at his lap, and his head shifted side to side as he was moved to the center of the hard-packed, dusty clay.   
The attendants that were moving him turned and ran away, something that Arin hadn't seen happen before. They were trained to be calm and collected in front of the Broken. Perhaps it was because he was King, and pissed.   
He knelt next to Dan, trying to catch his eyes.   
"Dan, baby?"   
Arin tried to cup his cheek, his hair hiding his face, as it had escaped the ponytail. Arin tried to tilt Dan's chin up, only to pull his hand away from the sharp pain. He stared at his hand, where blood was running down his finger.  
Dan had... bitten him?  
Arin stood up and backed away from him. Dan was shirtless, and cuts ran up and down his bare torso. His jeans were torn at the knees, and he wore a dark, mechanical collar around his neck.   
But the worst part was his eyes.  
They looked animalistic. The coffee color had been replaced by a manic darkness that rivaled the night sky. They looked sunken, and Dan looked so skinny. The demons had a way of accelerated torture that caused damage like this, but Dan was a human. They had a human level for this. Why had Dan been tortured at demon level?  
The administrator held the mic once more for the first phase of testing: emotional manipulation, in which every secret is revealed.  
"Leigh Daniel Avidan. Please state any negative thoughts concerning Arin Joseph Hanson."  
Arin braced himself to be slandered, as Dan could not hold back under their control. Arin would forgive him.   
But Dan was silent.  
He had never seen the victim stay silent in this phase.   
"Leigh Daniel Avidan. Please state any negative thoughts concerning Arin Joseph Hanson." The admin repeated.   
Dan remained quiet.  
"So it is to be assumed that you hold no vendetta about Arin Hanson?"  
Dan faced the admin and spoke in a deadpan.  
"That is correct."  
Arin's eyes welled up. Even under someone else's control, even in his Insanity, Dan couldn't find fault with Arin.  
"Is there anything that your prior consciousness wishes to share with your partner?"  
The admin snapped his fingers, and Dan's eyes snapped up to fix Arin with the most fearful look he had ever seen from him. He began to shake, and tears immediately began streaming down his face.  
"Arin, please... Run."  
Arin's heart raced at his words before the collar gave a single shock. Dans eyes rolled back to their dead look. The restraints popped off, and Dan leapt towards the demon.  
Suddenly, it was as though they were back on the porch, and Dan was jumping into his arms. The rain, the notes, the roses in his hand came flashing back.   
The illusion was shattered when the two of them collided and Dan straddled him on the ground. Dan scratched and bit at him, grabbing his hands. Arin yanked away from him, but Dan didn't back down. Not even when Arin reeled back and punched him. Dan's face snapped to the side, and he sat in silence. Had he broken his neck?   
Dan turned back towards him, bones in his neck crackling. He moved like a large cat, sinew rippling under his skin. He looked dangerous, and Arin was afraid. But Dan looked around, eyes connecting with his hands. He grabbed Arin's left hand, and held fast when Arin hit him with the other. He took the strikes in stride, head snapping to the side with Arin's inhuman strength. Dan tightened his hold on his hand and flipped them both over, so Dan was under Arin. In his crazed state, he forced the hand he was holding over his own throat.  
Arin pulled his hand back, away from the cool skin he had connected with. Dan made solid eye contact with him and grabbed the hand again, putting it back over his neck. 

Dan and Arin stared at each other, and the arena fell away. Dan held Arin's hand just above the collar resting on the base of his neck, a certain begging behind the frenzy of his mania.   
Arin loosened his grip in the hand that held him to the ground, and he placed the other hand on Dan's cheek. He saw tears falling from the corners of Dan's eyes.  
Dan spoke in the teeth-and-blood sound of someone who had been beaten close to death.  
"Please. End this."   
The sentences were broken and punctuated by heavy breaths that smelled of iron.  
Arin shook his head, and carefully leaned closer to Dan. Dan lashed out at first, succumbing to the force that pulled him under to drown once more. He was still a live wire, but Arin loved him.   
He loved him.   
Arin pushed his hair back from his forehead, beaded with sweat as the color and darkness fought in his eyes.  
"Danny? Come back to me, baby."  
Dan writhed underneath him, and Arin was pushed back once more, head cracking against the ground.   
Dan had his forearm barring Arin's neck, and Arin spoke as well as he could with the unceasing pressure on his trachea.   
"Dan, do whatever you have to."  
He stared up at the thing that Dan had become. Their faces were inches apart, and some of Dan's hair tickled his face. He was breathing heavily, and his blunt teeth were bared forcefully. The lanky, clumsy boy was gone, but it was evident that no enhancements were made to his strength. Dan, even with how gentle he was, could have torn the stadium apart.  
"Dan, I'm sorry I pulled you into this."  
Dan wasn't listening, but Arin still spoke. His forearm was pressed further into Arin's neck as tears ran down the demon's face.  
"I've done a lot of bad shit. You can kill me if you want. I'm at peace with it."  
Arin closed his eyes and winced when the pressure was taken off of his neck. Dan was going to kill him.   
But then Dan's hand brushed against his cheek with feather like gentleness.  
"Arin?"  
He opened his eyes to see Dan. His Dan. He was wiping the tears from Arin's face with a panicked, worried look in his coffee brown eyes.   
"Arin, I did it!"  
Now both of them were crying. As his Insanity faded, the wounds he had accumulated began to show on his skin. His face was settling into a kaleidoscope of purples and blues that Arin had to look away from. He had struck Dan, even when Dan was trying to give him the upper hand.   
"I did it, Arin. I'm sorry, Big Cat. I didn't wanna hurt you. I did it..."  
Dan was muttering nonsensically, and Arin recognized that there would be lasting effects from being flung through two mentalities so rapidly. He ached to hold him, but a sound brought him back to the world.   
"Arin Joseph Hanson, do you continue to recognize Leigh Daniel Avidan as your partner?"  
The two had forgotten about the crowd, the admin, and the arena. It had been the two of them alone in that time.  
"Arin, please don't leave me. I'm sorry I hurt you," but Dan wasn't facing him. He had his knees drawn up to his chest and his forehead resting against them.  
Exactly like when they had first met.   
"Arin Hanson?" The admin decided they were taking too long.  
"Yes, of course," he answered, but Dan didn't even look up. He kept mumbling into his knees, and it was worrying. Arin subtly tried to tap into the emotional field, only to be thrown back in recoil. There was pure sorrow, running thick through Dan's veins. Dan hadn't wanted to hurt anyone... especially Arin. Even he could feel that.   
Arin shifted over to the boy's folded up form.  
"Dan, don't be sorry."  
He reached an arm around him, bringing one of the many bloody bite marks into view. Dan buried his head further into his arms, whimpering. The cage-like doors opened once more, and attendants began running towards them.  
"Grab the Broken."  
Dan was grabbed by his mane of hair and the collar by one of the attendants. The rest had guns pointed at him.  
Arin stood up.  
"Let him go!"  
"Sire, I apologize, but this Broken needs to be restrained."

He shook Dan by the hair again, but he continued to look at his bare feet.   
"He's not recovered."  
"Wait, what do you mean? It was a success!" Arin threw his hands up to grab Dan. When Dan was pulled away without argument, Arin called to him.  
"Danny, come on. Say something."  
The attendant pulled Dan's face up to reveal Dan's eyes, bloodshot. The only area that wasn't blood red were his irises, still the unforgiving dark void. Arin stepped away from him, face contorted in confusion and hurt.  
"...Danny?"   
The creature jumped toward him, backing up only when the barrel of an assault rifle was pressed under his chin.  
"Sire, it will only take ten minutes to get it under control." A manager type swooped in to distract Arin as Dan was dragged out of the arena. His head bobbed, but he stayed still until they were nearly out of the room. It was when they reached the door that he snapped up to look at Arin, his eyes normal once more.   
"Arin, help! Please!"   
Starting towards him, Arin was held back.  
"He will just need to go through the accelerated treatment. It will restore him to his original mindset."  
"Why would this happen?" Arin felt lost. He hadn't seen this before.  
"We suspect that he had been on the cusp of a breakdown when you first found him. He had been broken long before today."  
Arin's mind was a whirlwind, but one thing was certain.  
"I just want to see him."  
"I can take you there. Come with me."  
Arin followed them quickly where Dan had just disappeared. He had barely stepped past the door when the attendant forcefully pulled him into a room where six other demons stood around a chair similar to the one Dan had been in.  
"I'm sorry, Your Highness. But there's something you need to see."  
  
\------  
  
Dan's head was swimming as he was pulled out of the freezing tub. Though he had escaped the water, he still felt as though his psyche were drowning. The woman from earlier, Antionette, steadied his shaking shoulders with a dry towel.   
"Leigh Daniel Avidan. Do you recognize that as your name?"  
Dan wasn't sure why no one heard him even when he screamed yes.   
His body responded without his control.  
"He called me Dan."  
Someone beside him plunged the hypodermic needle back into his arm, then pushed him by the shoulders into the water. He came up quickly, yelling.  
"Where is he?!"  
Antionette was taking notes on the endeavor to heal him.   
"The patient refuses to acknowledge personal injury or details, concerned solely with the wellbeing and opinions of his Bonded," she spoke into a small recorder, clicking the button to shut it off.   
When he was sitting up again, she shone a pen light in his eyes, observing the change from brown to indigo.   
"That can't be healthy," she muttered to herself. Turning the light off, she held Dan's head and stared at him.  
"Dan, please relay what you know about yourself."  
"My name is Dan. My Bonded is Arin. I-I tried to hurt him." Dan shook when he said it out loud.  
"Dan, do you realize that you had no control over your actions? And that Arin struck you in return?"  
Antionette was trying to get any self-forgiveness out of him that she could. His eyes faded back to brown and he covered his face.  
"I feel like a fucking animal."  
"Dan? Are you back with us?"  
"Anne, whatever the fuck is inside me, you have to get it _out_."  
Antionette knew that humans benefitted from physical contact, so she squeezed his shoulder for comfort.  
"We're trying. You're doing so good," she lied.   
"I can't hurt him again. I can't hurt anyone."  
Feeling as though she had broken through something, she dismissed the other demons in the room.   
"Dan, what do you mean?" She asked, once they were alone.   
Dan didn't answer.  
"Dan, why did you summon Arin that day?"  
He looked up, and his eyes had balanced out. One was bloodshot, and the other was the caramel color it was supposed to be.   
"I was alone."  
"Where was your family, Dan?" She prodded gently.  
"My aunt is out of town. My parents used to- still- they were..." He stared at her helplessly, willing her to understand.  
"Dan, what happened to your family?"

"I hurt them."  
"Why?"  
"I don't remember. I had a reason at the time."  
She sat back, considering.  
"Can we talk about something else?" Dan pleaded. He was shivering, holding his scrawny arms to himself. She nodded and smiled professionally.   
"Why did you summon Arin, Dan?"  
She thought it would be a more jovial subject.  
"I was alone."  
"Is that all?"  
"No..."  
She stared at him expectantly.   
"I wanted to die."  
"Why's that?"  
If Dan was surprised at her lack of surprise, he didn't let on.  
"Because of what I did to my aunt... to my parents."  
She nodded, and he felt she understood. She was a demon, after all.  
"That's a lie, I wanted to die before that."  
She was patient as he told her what had happened.  
"I've always been stronger than I'm supposed to be, I guess. I spent a lot of time as a kid being beaten by people because I was afraid that I would hurt them too much if I hit back."  
That would explain why Dan would be able to successfully take on the King of Hell. And why he didn't strike Arin back.  
"I'm a teenager, y'know? With all the angst and shit, it's super easy to get down. I hit my father back once, and he almost lost his jaw. It was too easy to hurt people, and I just wanted to stop... I don't like seeing people in pain. I just thought that if I just let them hurt me, I wouldn't have to watch them hurt."  
Antionette realized then how he had been broken, and why they had needed a higher level to push him. He held himself on a tight leash, and the only thing that his Insanity brought upon him was lowered inhibitions.  
"But it just kept happening. I kept hurting people, so I just wanted everything to stop."  
Dan seemed calm until that moment. His eyes were still balanced, and she had the eerie feeling that both sides were speaking equally. He shook violently.  
"Just once, I didn't want to have control. I didn't want to be like I always was. So I used a... less conventional method."  
"Which was?" She asked, when he paused.  
"I cut the brakes in the car. I was going to wait until the morning, so I did it the night before. I love the sunrise..."  
He had a wistful look in his eye, as though he was imagining it himself.  
"But my parents left that night to go drinking, or something. I just remember waking up with the car gone."  
His eyes darkened, and he began to beg.  
"I didn't want to hurt them. I didn't want to hurt anyone. You get that, right?"  
She nodded, eyes wide as though Dan were a cornered wild animal.   
"Don't tell Arin. Please, don't. I'll tell him myself."  
Antionette's heart gave a painful squeeze. She wished her decision hadn't been made for her.  
"I'm sorry, Dan."  
Dan's was already looking past her at the barely-visible camera mounted on the wall.   
"He's watching now, isn't he." A statement, not a question.   
  
Arin was strapped to the chair, unable to wipe the tears from his face. Dan looked helpless, like a child in therapy, as he stared through the lense.   
"Arin, please don't hate me."  
Arin knew it wouldn't be relayed back, but he whispered.  
"I couldn't hate you."  
Dan shifted where he was sitting, seemingly composing himself. He shot a look to the camera, one that said  _I'm sorry for this._  
"Y'know, Anne was really helpful before this all started," Dan sounded casual. It was terribly out of place.  
"She told me that this would be a painless process."  
"Dan, I didn't know-" Antionette started to interject.  
"It's alright, Anne. Nobody knew." Dan held up a hand to stop her. The way he was speaking, it was calming. Everyone was focused on him. Except for Arin. He had an underlying sense of tension in Dan's words.  
"She also said that, if need arose, there would be a sedative on site. It keeps the king from dying. Understandable."  
What was Dan going to do? Why go on about a medicine all of a sudden?  
"Arin, I'm sorry if I'm bothering you too much, but I have a question."  Dan picked up the syringe, twisting it in his fingers. Anne began to grab it from him, but he grabbed her shirt and _threw_  her across the room. She landed with a clatter against medical stands. He made direct eye contact with the camera, the crazed look having returned to his eyes.

"How does it actually feel, laying in the snow?"  
Arin's aura expanded beyond his control as Dan slammed the needle into the side of his neck, falling serenely into the tub of ice water. Only one thought rang out in Arin's mind as he smiled devilishly at the demons around him, and it was Dan's voice.  
_"Come and get me, Ar_."


	8. Arin's Apology

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We meet some familiar faces, and there's a lot of apologizing. Get ready for emotion.

Dan was drowning. He knew that. But even though the tub was freezing, and he was being pulled into the cold depths of exhaustion... he felt warm. Like the heat was something he could chase if he just closed his eyes. For the first time, he could extend his aura as well, feeling blue tongues sweep the room around him. Arin was somewhere, he knew it. He just had to...  
_Just had to..._  
  
\--------  
  
Arin remembered the restraints snapping off of him, and the marks that were left on his wrists. It was hard to forget the clear voice cutting through his mind, taunting him. But when did he get past everyone in the room? When did he find Dan?  
Nevertheless, he stared into the tub that Dan was in. He was tossed back to attention, dipping his hands into the tub and scooping Dan's light body out of it. He carried him bridal-style out of the room, both of them soaked. Demons walking by were physically repelled, collapsing against walls in the wide hallways. Dan was still unconcious, but Arin could sense a slight stream of thought. It was a double helix struggling against itself, with red and raw battling a soft, yet determined line of conciousness. He had never been close enough to observe it, and it caused an unbearable pain behind his eyes. He fumbled a bit, almost dropping the human. Pulling out of his mind, he steeled himself once again.  
He just wanted his Dan back. He just wanted to watch movies with him... they had such little time together.   
He just wanted to go home.  
He didn't know where he was running, but he stopped in a nearby room. The door shut on its own behind him, and he let his aura die down. He set Dan on a table and stared at him.  
With his eyes closed like this, he didn't look right. He was barely breathing, and he looked pale.   
He wasn't dead. Arin could still tell.   
He couldn't be dead.  
Arin sat down next to the table and folded his hands around one of Dans, pressing it to his lips.  
"I'm sorry, Daniel. I'm sorry I let you down."  
He heard footsteps down the hall, and the first knocks against the door. Dan stirred, shifting a bit. They would get in if he didn't do something.  
"Dan, I'm sorry that you'll have to spend eternity with me. I shouldn't have dragged you into this. We're criminals now, on quite a few counts."  
The knocking was filling the room. Arin had to move quickly, but Dan's eyelids fluttered.  
"Dan, I need you to wake up now, baby. If you can do that, if you can hear me, I need you awake right now." Arin didn't  want to resort to what was suddenly becoming his only option. The demon bit his finger and painted the door, the door growing thicker. Spells were all he had at the moment.   
"Danny, babe... please wake up. Please don't make me hurt you."  
Dan seemed to be fighting the medication. Why had he taken it? Why had he needed to be asleep?  
 _So he couldn't hurt him_.  
Arin decided he needed a weapon. He could help Dan, he just... right now, he needed to wake him up.   
But not his Dan.  
Arin shut his eyes and grabbed Dan's arm, pressing his lips to the prominent vein on it. He felt his teeth go ragged and he bit hard into Dan's arm. The man thrashed, and Arin steeled himself. He had to do this. He was sorry that he had to do this. He drew as much medication as he could out of his veins, hoping like hell it would work. He watched his face carefully, mouth full of blood. It was bitter and metallic, but it was all he could do.  
Dan's eyes popped open, dark and wild. Danny would lie dormant for a bit, as it seemed this one was taking over. The curly-haired man pulled his arm away, grabbing Arin's throat.   
"I'm sorry."  
Arin reached around Dan's head, grabbing his hair and forcing their eyes to meet. His talons dug into the Broken's scalp and his eyes burned.   
"You will listen to me. I'm your Chosen."  
  
Dan relaxed and released Arin with a respectful, understanding stare. He must have sensed it.  
"We are in danger. We are both to escape uninjured. You can do such a task." Arin pulled his hand from the man's hair.  
Dan nodded silently. Arin's chest got tight, every part of him screaming to run.  
"Dan?"

He searched the Broken's eyes, trying to find the nonexistent scrap of his mate.   
"Danny?"  
He was repeating himself again. He just wanted him back.  
"Get us out of here."  
He watched the lithe form dart towards the door, where it was shaking in the hinges. He crouched when it collapsed into the room.  
"Your Highness, you are charged with-"   
Dan tackled the first attendant, throwing them to the ground with a sickening thump. The others backed away a bit, but Arin walked up behind him and tapped his back, as he was still hunched over the first dead attendant. Dan charged at the others, grabbing and tearing at any part of their physical forms that he could reach. Arin's chest tightened, and he tried to swallow past the lump in his throat. The smell of iron danced with the creature, acting like thin ribbons in a complicated routine. There was no jerkiness lingering within the movements, as no part of him fought the transformation.  
This wasn't what Dan would become, was it?  
  
Dan was on all fours and panting afterwards, bare chest smeared in red.  
"Dan, babe?"   
The creature stared at him with dark eyes. It was an alliance, it seemed. Arin's fragile mind could handle this.  
Then it's lips quirked upward in Dan's trademark grin.  
Arin slapped him.   
Dan's head snapped to the side as it had before, unfazed by the strike.  
Arin put his hands over his eyes and slid down the wall to sit on the floor. Dan- no, _it_ \- stood and padded over to him in bare feet, looking hesitant to touch him. It raised its hands and dropped them, seemingly itching to comfort him. Arin noticed him looking at him from different angles, similar to a dog trying to find a spot to nudge it's way in.   
"Go away." Arin commanded harshly, and Dan's body relaxed as a result. The man dropped to his knees and ended up face-to-face with the demon.   
"You found me," Danny choked out words in a voice of wonder.   
Arin reached over with his soaked hands to place them at the sides of Dan's face.  
"You're back."  
Dan flinched and Arin pulled away.  
"Your hands... they're freezing, dude."  
Arin stared at them. They were, they were cold. He hadn't taken time to notice.  
"It's fine, it's fucking fine." Dan smiled and placed his warm hands on top of them, placing them back onto his cheeks.   
Warm hands?  
Fuck it, Dan was here. Dorky, loud Dan who watched movies with him and held his hand. The Dan that was safe.  
Arin all but tossed him onto the ground with the sheer force of the kiss. He had to remind himself to breathe out of his nose before he passed out.   
"Danny, I'm so sorry," Arin was murmuring when their lips parted.  
"Don't apologize. You saved me, Arin." The sound of thudding boots echoed down the previously empty hallway, and the two men pushed themselves from their reclined position.   
"We have to go, Dan. We're fugitives."  
"What? What did we do?!"  
"I'll explain later, just..." Arin met his wild eyes, "Just trust me!"  
Dan nodded firmly. Arin grabbed his hand as gently as possible.   
"You, uh... you don't have to watch this."  
Man, this day was full of bad decisions. He was king, so he did have a different form than the lesser demons. But it was frightening to see, and he was worried that Dan would take off in the other direction.   
"I'm with you, Arin. Just don't let go of my hand."  
Arin squeezed Dan's hand, watching him gratefully. He needed a grounding point, and it was easier with a living tether. Dan closed his eyes when he saw bones shifting and rippling below Arin's skin. It looked painful, and Arin's face reflected that clearly. He couldn't watch his fingertips run with blood as new talons forced their way past his cuticles, the points pricking Dan's palm. The veins in his arm were blue, contrasting harshly with the maroon color his skin had changed into. His skin was once again warm to the touch, and Dan soon realized he couldn't pull away. It was as though the two of them were rooted together. Dan opened his eyes when the meaty sounds of joints popping into place had ceased.   
He looked like a fucking force of nature.  
He had bulked up, and his jawline looked sharp enough to cut.

He had strange markings running up the sides of his face, and his hair remained the same as always.   
"A-Arin?" Dan tried to catch his eyes. He had them closed, and Dan brought his other hand to sweep the demon's bangs from his forehead.   
The boots stomping down the hallway reminded him that there was a reason Arin had shifted.   
"Arin, we have to go!" Dan tugged on his arm harshly, startled when he continued to stand stock-still. He faced the door, eyes still lightly shut. Demons ran in, firearms drawn and pointed at Arin's chest.  
"He's gone nuclear!"  
Their fingers were on the triggers in seconds, and the room was filled with noise. Dan jumped in front of Arin, arms curled tight as he braced for the bullets to tear him apart. He heard the clattering of metal, and when impact never arrived he lowered his hands. The bullets hovered in front of him, and Arins eyes were open to reveal inky black pools, the whites and all having shifted color. Dan reached out and poked the nearest bullet. It burned, and he hissed as he pulled his finger away. Arin wordlessly yanked him back by the shoulders from the bits of metal around them. The demons were writhing in front of them, hands clawing at their heads.   
"Just stay close." Arin's voice hadn't changed, though his facial structure had. And his eyes.  
"If you get too far away, you'll be affected, like them." Arin slid his hand down towards Dan's hip, guiding him forward. He batted the bullets out of the air, and watched them turn molten at his touch. Dan was shrunken against him until they encountered one of the struggling demons. He held Arin's hand and bent down to pluck the firearm from him. He held it in his arms, realizing it was decently close to a rifle. It had some accessories, but the trigger and barrel were clear. He and Arin set a steady pace and he held the weapon close, just in case. A man in a dark suit tried to rush them from a door that they passed and Dan reacted, bracing the gun on his shoulder and slamming the butt of it into the demon's face. He fell and Dan cocked the gun one-handed, spinning it and aiming it at the fallen demon. He fired with no hesitation and watched as he was burned from the inside. Dan turned back towards Arin, who stared at him in shock.   
"You were just really calm about that." Arin dismissed it with a shake of his head and clamped his hand back onto Dan's hip. They walked like that towards the room that Dan had been interrogated in.  
"Why are we going back?!" Dan was trying to push back against Arin.  
"Antionette had a multi-transport device. We need it for both of us to go home. Also," Arin brushed the back of his neck with a firm, taloned hand. "I can't just leave her here."  
Dan nodded. He had gotten the sense that the two of them were friends. He could face that again if he needed to. They opened the door to the room.  
Anne laid on the floor still, and on a desk staring down at her was a raven-haired woman. Dan flinched and took aim at her, but Arin stepped foward towards her.  
"Suzy," he breathed out. She smiled, lighting up her ethereal beauty.   
"Arin. I missed you." She slid off of the desk to walk towards him, the train of her dark dress trailing behind her. Dan broke away from watching her just long enough to brace a chair under the doorknob. Arin had toned down the aura he had around him, making travel past him safe. Suzy was grinning wide, wrapping her arms around him to hold the demon close.  
"Suzy, I'm so happy to see you." Arin brushed the back of his hand against her cheek, careful to avoid cutting her. She leaned back, her hands still clasped behind his back.   
"Wanna explain why you've gone all Hellboy on everyone?"  
Suzy had an admonishing tone, but her smile made her seem incredibely human.   
"I don't know. Everything went wrong when we were trying the Courting. They used the wrong treatment on Dan, and they don't think he's too stable." Dan looked up, and Suzy lit up like a Christmas tree.  
"This is him?!" She let go of Arin and grabbed Dan, pulling him down to inspect him.

"He's cute!" She stared at the boy, turning back to Arin. Dan began to turn red, and Arin grinned like a proud child.   
"Right? He doesn't believe me." Arin ruffled Dan's hair, and Dan was feeling quite uncomfortable with all of the attention.   
"Suzy, I've heard so much about you. I'm sorry we couldn't meet under better circumstances."   
Suzy's eyes turned stormy.   
"I'm afraid no one meets me under good circumstances, Dan."  
"Yeah, why are you here?" Arin had assumed it was the demons, but they rarely came for the already deceased. Arin's arms were around Dan in a second, ready to run if needed.   
"I came to help you two. I needed to revive someone first."   
Arin relaxed.  
That was a Reapers job, to revive the mistaken and judge the wicked. The two men turned to Anne, who was still on the floor. Dan felt a twinge of regret twist in his gut, and he tried to explain himself.  
"I'm so sorry, I just... I didn't know what I was doing, or I couldn't stop it, and I killed her? I didn't know-"   
Suzy held up a perfectly manicured hand.   
"It's okay, Dan. It was a mistake. But Anne wasn't supposed to die, so it's not that big of a deal."  
Suzy knelt next to the woman and placed a hand on her chest. Anne coughed once, twice, and then sat up with a deep breath. She looked around at the people surrounding her. Dan looked guilty, Arin looked crazy, and Suzy was as beautiful as ever.   
"Anne." Arin picked her up and set her to sit on the desk, her short hair falling into her eyes.   
"I meant to tell you, my name isn't Anne. Antionette is my middle name. Just... just call me Holly."  
Arin chuckled. Leave it up to her to care about the little details.  
"I don't care what your name is, you're alive!"   
She looked at herself. She was alive. She jumped off of the desk, walking quickly towards Dan. She slapped his arm, hard.  
"I was trying to help you, you fucking idiot!"  
Dan looked forlorn, but shocked when she threw her arms around his midsection.   
"I'm glad you're okay."  
"Me too. I deserved that." He squeezed her tightly. After the rejoicing had ceased, Suzy became very serious.  
"We're going to be on the run forever, you know."  
Dan nodded.   
"At least for the rest of my life."  
Arin shook his head.  
"I have your soul after that. You won't get out that easy, babe." Arin tugged him close.  
Holly and Suzy smiled at the two of them, watching them bicker. It wouldn't be that simple, but they had time. They just wanted to let them be happy.  
"We're going to collect a couple more people to help us."  
Dan looked confused, but Arin smiled. It made him feel at ease.  
"Who are they?"  
"Another Reaper, a criminal, a weapons expert, a warlock, and a psycho."  
"Sounds fun." Dan began to wring his fingers together. "Especially the psycho."  
"That's Holly's boyfriend. Blame her."  
The short-haired woman shrugged and blushed.   
"So this is it." Dan stared at the ground.  
"Are you sure you want me with you?"  
The room was filled with a confused silence.   
"Why wouldn't we?" Suzy rolled up the lacy sleeves of her gown.   
"I wouldn't leave you for anything." Arin grabbed his hand gently.   
"Besides, I refuse to be the only one with a crazy boyfriend."  
He would have to drown again? He had been beneficial to Arin. That was his title, wasn't it.  
Two Reapers, a King, a demon, a weapons expert, a criminal, a psycho...  
And a Broken.  
It was one hell of a team. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AAAAANNNND that's part one! Part two chapter one will be posted within the next three days, so stay tuned. Leave a review if you liked it. Here's a question:  
> What would your class be if you were in the group?  
> Comment below!

**Author's Note:**

> Make sure to leave a review if you liked it. I've prewritten the first three chapters, but I need to know if anyone is interested. Thanks for reading!


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